Summer Is Here!!

Sorry for the light posting folks, been a bit busy... Here's an oldie: a post from 1 year ago today, welcoming summer:

Happy summer! Just a couple of wildflowers I noticed near the parking lot along one of our bike trails.... I thought they were cool. I used a little of the Beautifier filter from RedPawMedia, as discovered over at My Viewfinder…. Thanks John!

"You belong among the wildflowers
You belong somewhere close to me
Far away from your trouble and worry
You belong somewhere you feel free"

Tom Petty - Wildflowers

Home again, home again...

Regular readers may have noticed a LOT of posts over the past several months from the Inland-Northwest. SE Washington, Northern Idaho. Well, I had been living out there pretty much full time since the 1st of the year, getting indoctrinated for a new job (and deprogrammed from my previous jobs). The important part of the previous sentence is the word "had". As in past-tense. I'm finally back home "for good", and just in time for father's day.

It was a good experience, and I still have tons of photos to wade through, but there's no place like home.....

Apt. Fire, Pt. 2

Remeber the post last week about the apartment fire in Pullman Washington. Well, at a co-worker's urging, I sent a copy of that photo to a couple local media outlets, and one, The Spokane Spokesman-Review actually purchased it!! They paid $100 for non-exclusive rights to publish it on their web site, and in the next day's paper. This is my first "paid" journalism shot since a freelance job I did for the Fayetteville (North Carolina) Observer, back in 1981. I think that one paid $15....

Above is another shot of the event, taken from my aprtment window.... I had felt guilty about even taking photos of somebody's tragedy, but was able to offset that uneasiness by donating the $100 to the families that were displaced (through a collection at my work). And yes, that is snow (In June).

Girdered

I was struck by the lines on this old bridge. A retired RR bridge across the Clearwater River, in Lewiston, ID. I wonder if it was built in 1906, or if that means something else? Here’s the whole bridge:

Perspective

I woke up this morning, was laying in bed for a moment, and my work phone (blackberry) rang in the other room. I grumbled / stumbled out of bed, but just missed the call. Glancing out the window, I noticed it is SNOWING!!! June 10th in Pullman WA, and it is snowing. Meanwhile, the caller left a message, a work problem.... Grrrrr… So I’m making some breakfast and grumbling about the day, and a fire truck goes by. Hmmm, I looked out the back window of the apartment where I’m staying and:

OK, there’s a little shot of reality. A holf hour later, and it’s still snowing, and they’re still trying to put out the fire. So far, they’ve kept it from spreading to the adjacent unit. None of that other stuff seems so irritating now.

North Idaho, Again

Another shot from our recent visit.

Obligatory “We Were There” shot…

I occasionally think that I took up photography in order to keep myself out of photographs. And I usually do pretty well at it. But every once in a while you have to capture the moment. This is on top of Kamiak Butte, near Palouse, WA. Myself, my wife and my son. I set my D70 on a a bench (on a folded sweatshirt), set the timer and click. There you have it. Bad lighting, closed eyes, etc. But that’s us! Sadly my 2 older daughters couldn’t make the trip, so it’s not a full family portrait. But it still captures a great afternoon…

I decided to post this, after seeing John R's "I was there" shot at his blog. Anybody else want to take up the challenge??

Lake view

Two images taken during our visit to extreme northern Idaho. I can’t decide which I like best (or dislike least). Pretty similar, but a little different. Neither quite matches what I was hoping for, but that seems to be typical. Any thoughts??

Extreme Northern Idaho

I spent last weekend in extreme northern Idaho, visiting with friends. We had a great time, did some trail riding, shooting, hanging out by the fire, etc. Here’s a few shots from one of the spots we visited:

There was lots of water, guess it's still a lot off snow melt. The mist here was almost like stepping into a rainy day. The above shot is actually from a bit off the trail, my son and I had to do a little exploring, always trying to head UP!

Now, if I were a "good" chronicler, I would've noted the name of this waterfall, so that I could announce it here. But I was too wrapped up in the moment and completey forgot. The guys rode motorcycles / ATVs to get near here, the ladies met up with us in the Suburban.

Yep, I always have to try the "artsy" shot... I'd have to duck in, snap, then duck out and wipe of the water spray from the camera.... I did several, but prefer the ones with slower shutter speeds, giving an overall blur.

My son at the rail. This photo is taken from about the edge of the mist region...

Down At The Lodge

Please?

What A Rush!

Just off the right side of the image is a 90 foot drop, the Middle Falls of Elk Creek Falls Recreation Area. See yesterday’s post for a view of the falls. I used a slow shutter speed (1/30th sec) to blur the water, and catch the feel of the motion.

Elk Creek Falls!

If you’re ever in the Pullman WA / Moscow ID area, a side trip to Elk Creek Falls is well worth the time. About 1.5 hours from Pullman, but a really nice drive. And a super place. Their sign says it all:

One of the things I often do with digital is take photos of signs. It helps me remember where I’ve been. And in this case, it actually gave me a handy (if not detailed) map during my wanderings. Granted, the display on the back of my camera isn’t quite huge, but I did refer to it a few times….

Elk Creek is a very cool spot. Complete with deep woods , grand vistas, and impressive waterfalls. Expect to see more images as I plug through the stack.

I didn't see another person during the couple of hours I spent tromping around (which suits me fine!). I did hear some people shouting when I was headed for the car, sounded like your typical noisy teenagers (I know, I was one once)... I also saw 2 cars arriving when I was leaving. Ah, the importance of getting up and moving in the mornings!

A Long Time Ago In A Galaxy Far Far Away

I was chatting about the experience of attending movies with a friend the other day, and Star Wars came up. Star Wars was certainly a phenomenon, a cultural landmark for folks around my age. It was early summer, between Jr. and Sr. years of high school, not long before my 17th birthday... I think was the first movie I saw at a mulitplex theater (4 theaters, IIRC!), a good 1/2 hour drive from home (out near the Monroeville Mall, later made famous in "Dawn Of The Dead"). I'm sure it was the first movie I waiting in line for, probably 30-45 minutes.

I bring it up, because I just saw that today is the 31st anniversary of the original release. And May 25th, 1977 seems like a long time ago in a (figurative) galaxy far far away.....

Old Barn on the Palouse

It has been probably 8 years since I made my first trip to SE Washington state, and I’ve made it to this area occasionally over the past few years. And every time, I end up driving past the funky old barn. And it looks worse and worse each time. Not sure hoe much longer it’ll be around.